Jeff Mitchell: Of fond memories of dad and days in the sun

Also: MCOE Supt. Nancy Kotowski launches re-election campaign

Jun. 15, 2013

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First of all, a tip o’ the cap to all the dads out there in acknowledgment of Sunday’s observation of Father’s Day.

Having a good caring pop around means that a kid has a good chance of growing up right. Don’t get me wrong — moms are not only essential but they play a pivotal role in raising a kid, too. They bring a different perspective to the table. I know mine certainly helped me understand a lot of things growing up.

But my Dad was a good man, a good parent and was there when it counted.

Quiet, stern and disciplined, he tended to run a tight ship. But he was surprisingly emotionally present when he needed to be, too.

My favorite memories of Fraser M. Mitchell (1918-1993) involved long, fun, sun-baked weekend afternoons at Dodger Stadium, days replete with the smell of sizzling Dodger Dogs and the sound of Vin Scully on the little transistor radio we’d always take to the games. It was magical.

My Dad, being a pilot, is responsible for instilling in me a true love for all things aviation.

There are family pictures of me as a tyke sitting in Dad’s lap in the cockpit of an old DC-3 at Long Beach airport. Having a Dad in the aerospace business was very cool. He’d often take me into work on Saturdays and we’d walk the company hangars with him explaining to me what was going into all of the company’s latest projects.

Later, in my early teen years, Dad took me flying often, which cemented my love for aircraft. I totally got why he loved flying, too. The freedom one experiences — especially in a small plane — is just amazing.

Living in Southern California also meant that the beach, body surfing and barbecues were a big part of our family routine. Pop was a master when it came to firing up the old BBQ.

Later, as he got older and frail, we’d often go to lunch or dinner after he’d come off two, sometimes three interminable doctor’s appointments.

And as he sensed he was getting closer to death, he seemed to use these meetings with increasing urgency to pass on his wisdom and life experiences to me. Often I’d spend an hour or two just listening, absorbing it all.

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And although I didn’t follow him into the aerospace business, he liked what I did as a journalist. He would bore the heck out of his nurses at the dialysis center, which he went to three times a week, practically making the poor things read each word of my stories. (Talk about torture!)

My Pop never really gushed over me or my brothers — that wasn’t his style. He did, however, do a good job in helping us grow up into good men and responsible citizens.

Shortly before he died in 1993, I had just joined the Los Angeles Times in Ventura County as a contract reporter — a great gig for a young journalist. I was lucky enough to stay with The Times for nearly five years.

When visiting him one day in the hospital he said those words that all children crave — that he was proud of me.

A few weeks later he passed, but there’s rarely a day I don’t think of him and all those amazing days we spent together in the sun.

Go out there and have a great Father’s Day, folks.

Nancy Kotowski launches reelection campaign

Although the election is a year away (June 2014) Nancy Kotowski, Monterey County’s superintendent of schools, may just be feeling the wolf at the door.

On Wednesday, at the home of power couple Don and Barbara Chapin, Kotowski kicked off her campaign with a fundraiser that had the 50 or so attendees paying anywhere from $99 to $1,000 a head.

Don Chapin, as many of you know, is a prominent local builder and contractor and is president of the conservative-tinged Salinas Valley Leadership Group PAC.

Other than Kotowski, no one else has formally announced their intention to run for the MCOE seat, but rumor has it that Alisal Union Superintendent John Ramirez Jr. may go for it.

And, frankly, that would fit, given that Ramirez is friends with rogue Salinas City Councilman Jose Castañeda and that together they are leaders within an east Salinas-based political contingent seeking to put their own personally approved associates into positions of power throughout Monterey County — the effort to recall Mayor Joe Gunter is probably the highest profile example of this effort.

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In addition to the Chapins, Wednesday’s party saw a number of prominent local movers and shakers come out, including MoCo prosecutor Jimmy Panetta and his mom, Sylvia.

On Friday, Kotowski said she did not know exactly how much she netted at the event but said she will need all the financial support she can get to run a countywide campaign. She said she spent well north of $100,000 on her past campaign.

Finally, Kotowski confirmed that she has retained uber political consultant Plasha Fielding Will — arguably Monterey County’s fiercest hired political gun — to map out and guide her campaign.

I’m planning on keeping a close eye on this race — I suspect some dust is going to get kicked up along the way.

Final AUSD credit card report coming

Speaking of Kotowski, the superintendent said Friday that a final report on Ramirez’s use of his district Visa card will be out by next Friday — maybe sooner. Kotowski wouldn’t characterize the report but said that it will draw some conclusions and will carry with it recommendations. Stay tuned.

Jose Castañeda Watch: Day 184

Friday marked the 184th day that new Salinas City Councilman and Alisal Union School District board member Jose Castañeda has continued to hold both seats in apparent violation of state law.

And … yes, we’re still awaiting news from the state Attorney General’s office on Salinas’ request for leave to sue Castañeda in quo warranto to force him from the AUSD board.

The people we’re chatting on background say they think the decision could be handed down in the week of June 23.

(And, sorry, we don’t have a clue as to what’s holding all this up.)

Meanwhile in the city of Calexico in the Imperial Valley, a similar case involving Calexico Unified school board member Joong Kim was resolved this week when Kim voluntarily resigned from school panel, according to the Imperial Valley Press.

The act served to relieve the school district from having to pursue its own quo warranto lawsuit to remove him from the panel.

As in Castañeda’s case, Kim was elected to the Calexico City Council last fall but refused to give up his school board seat.

Jeff Mitchell covers Salinas Valley politics and government. Under the Dome, an opinion column, appears Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday in both print and online. For quick political hits, check out Under the Dome - The Blog, available at www.theCalifornian.com most every day. Readers are invited to send story tips or story ideas by email to: jemitchell@TheCalifornian.com.